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Quite a few people report feeling tired or sleeping a lot after starting CPAP. You may not be sleeping well as you adapt to CPAP.

Even if you're sleeping well, some people experience "sleep debt." The experts say there's no such thing, but a lot of people report something that sounds like it. You "catch up" on sleep for a while and then you feel better later.

I think it may be "apnea withdrawal." A lot of things happen when you have apnea. Your O2 goes down, your CO2 goes up, which changes your blood chemistry. You have stress hormones from being strangled in your sleep. You don't get deep sleep and that screws up the "balance" of your body. Your body makes a lot of chemical, physical, and neurological adjustments to all these things. When you stop having apnea, your body is still pumping out chemicals trying to adjust to strangulation, stress and oxygen deprivation. Your brain and nervous system are still trying to compensate. You may be "off balance" for a while. It's sort of like what happens if you quit drinking, smoking, or even taking some prescription drugs.

Apnea withdrawal is my theory. I haven't published any peer reviewed studies or received my Nobel prize yet.

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If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check it yourself.

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.

(06-27-2014, 07:42 AM)Skypilot Wrote: Can you elaborate please on why it has to be distilled water?

The humidifier requires distilled water because it works by evaporating water into the air you breathe. If the water isn't distilled, it will build up minerals inside the water chamber and eventually make it work poorly, and need to be replaced.

Also, if distilled water gets inside of your machine, and you manage to dry it up, it will probably be OK. If non-distilled water gets inside, there's very little chance it will be OK.

There's probably a warning in your machine's manual about only using distilled water.

(06-27-2014, 08:13 AM)tcarmen Wrote: Also, if distilled water gets inside of your machine, and you manage to dry it up, it will probably be OK. If non-distilled water gets inside, there's very little chance it will be OK.

oh, good point, distilled water doesn't conduct electricity... it's only the contaminants in it that make it do so.

(06-26-2014, 10:04 PM)archangle Wrote: You're just exhausted because you aren't using paragraphs.

Welcome to our board.

Quite a few people report feeling tired or sleeping a lot after starting CPAP. You may not be sleeping well as you adapt to CPAP.

Even if you're sleeping well, some people experience "sleep debt." The experts say there's no such thing, but a lot of people report something that sounds like it. You "catch up" on sleep for a while and then you feel better later.

I think it may be "apnea withdrawal." A lot of things happen when you have apnea. Your O2 goes down, your CO2 goes up, which changes your blood chemistry. You have stress hormones from being strangled in your sleep. You don't get deep sleep and that screws up the "balance" of your body. Your body makes a lot of chemical, physical, and neurological adjustments to all these things. When you stop having apnea, your body is still pumping out chemicals trying to adjust to strangulation, stress and oxygen deprivation. Your brain and nervous system are still trying to compensate. You may be "off balance" for a while. It's sort of like what happens if you quit drinking, smoking, or even taking some prescription drugs.

Apnea withdrawal is my theory. I haven't published any peer reviewed studies or received my Nobel prize yet.

Check with SuperSleeper. He may have some of those Nobel prize thingies hanging around. He seems to have a storehouse of goodies to hand out: T shirts, hats, coffee, donuts, popcorn and I do not remember what all else.

Sounds like you have more of Central Apnea as noted by Zonk above. I also have central apnea and I have a VPAP Adapt machine. I'm not real familiar with all the machines, but am wondering if your Autoset is the one you should really have?? Just throwing that out there. I was also very sleepy the first whole week really. Still have it at times as well. I think it just takes time for our bodies to adjust. Especially Central Apnea patients. I like Archangle's theory just fine! I also think to myself that since we have been deprived of sleep for so long that now our bodies are craving it. That's my theory anyway!!!

(06-27-2014, 07:42 AM)Skypilot Wrote: Can you elaborate please on why it has to be distilled water?

The humidifier requires distilled water because it works by evaporating water into the air you breathe. If the water isn't distilled, it will build up minerals inside the water chamber and eventually make it work poorly, and need to be replaced.

Also, if distilled water gets inside of your machine, and you manage to dry it up, it will probably be OK. If non-distilled water gets inside, there's very little chance it will be OK.

There's probably a warning in your machine's manual about only using distilled water.

Terry

I would have thought that the minerals would not build up if you wash out the container after each use? The minerals that are left in the water will be washed away. I wash my tank each day and let it dry so as not to allow any nasties to grow. (and it can be put through the dishwasher)

Water in the machine - I suppose there is a very small chance that happening but I cannot see how and then it would only be in the air flow path?

I do not think that is much of a persuasive argument for me to use distilled water..... but each to their own?

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INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.